Category: Sermon on the Mount

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An Infected Heart

NOVEMBER 11

MATTHEW 7:17_but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

The word evil in this verse means bad or worthless. The source which brings forth worthless fruit is in itself weak or bad. Drug dealers bring evil fruits to keep their addicts in bondage. 

Addictions are evil fruits. One of the strongest addictions in the world is pornography. It is an extremely corrupt tree bringing forth extremely evil fruit. It is not something to take lightly, or think is not harmful. It goes far past the eyes and infects the heart. An infected heart will destroy the soul.

You were not created to be bad or worthless. Nor can the circumstances of life produce that kind of fruit in you—unless you submit to them as your source. If you think you’re not beautiful or handsome enough—what’s your source of beauty? Is it a friend? A celebrity? When God is your source, you understand things like: 1 Samuel 16:7 (KJV), “But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”  

God sees true beauty—from the heart, not the face.

When you reach the place you believe God loves you unconditionally—it will be the most attractive thing you can do for yourself, and it will show in your face!   

PRAYER

Creator, I want my beauty to come from Your love for me. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.   

Christ is The Source of all beauty—He gives it to me!

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The Source of Power

NOVEMBER 10

MATTHEW 7:17_but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

The word corrupt in this verse means subject to decay. To decay is to rot: dead to the life and abilities once possessed. A tree that is in the process of decay may still bring forth fruit, but it is not good for consumption.

The condition of the fruit is the same as the condition of the tree that produces it. The strength of the tree determines the strength of the fruit.

In the same way, the weakness of the tree determines the weakness of the fruit. It’s all about the tree—the vine—the source of power. If you go anywhere other than the Bible for the source of connecting with the Holy God of Heaven—you’ve gone to a weak source.

Psalm 60:11-12 (KJV), “Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.12 Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.” Now that’s a powerful source! 

It’s not that you should not go to people when you need help: everyone needs a little help from their friends. The problem comes when people are your primary source. When you place all your trust in what people can do, and never seek God’s help.

It’s all about the source!

PRAYER

Holy Master, I want You to be the primary source of all I am and need. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.              

Christ is The Source—He wants to be mine!    

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The Key Word is “With”

NOVEMBER 9

MATTHEW 7:17_Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit…

Trying to do what is right and good can be overwhelming. There’s a reason for that—it is!

Your being good is not a fit for that creation plan of good produces good.

Let’s go back to that verse in John 15 (KJV) which says, “5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

Jesus doesn’t say anything about doing good on our own. Nor did Jesus say if you work hard enough you’ll bear good fruit. He said, without Him you can’t do anything [good]. Nothing! Nada! Naught! Zilch! Do you get that? 

There’s only one way to bear good fruit—be a good tree. There’s only one way to be a good tree—abide in the true vine.

Luke 1:37 (KJV), “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” The key word in that verse is with. Your ability to make the impossible possible is in the word with.

Your ability to produce good fruit is in the word abide. You not only can produce good fruit, but according to Jesus, you can bring forth much fruit.

PRAYER

Powerful God, I want to be with You and abide in You. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                                                                                                  

Christ helps me bear much good fruit – I abide in Him!

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Every Time!

 NOVEMBER 8

MATTHEW 7:17_Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit…

Now, the perfect combination:

Grapes and thorns don’t combine.

Neither figs and thistles.

But good trees and good fruit combine every time!

God’s creation design:

Good produces good. Be a good gardener and plant this principle into your heart.

What your eyes allow in stays in—the heart—the mind. With time, the images take root and grow. Depending upon how much you tend and nurture, what your eyes have taken in will bear fruit.

If you’ve taken in evil, the fruit resembles thorns. Thorns can pierce the people in your life. Some people may even avoid being too close to you for fear of the pain.

The fruit that resembles thistles can appear attractive, but the briars pierce those who try to be close to you. This leads to a hot mess: you cannot make genuine relationships—your life has grown up with thorns and weeds.

This also applies to what you allow your ears to hear, your hands to touch, and where your feet go.

In your quest to become perfect, you can ask, seek, and knock for righteousness. Let the Holy Spirit guide in these areas, and let good produce good.        

PRAYER

Only God, I want to produce good fruit for Your kingdom. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                                                                                                  

Christ is the good tree—In Him I produce good fruit!

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Till the Cows Come Home

NOVEMBER 7

MATTHEW 7:16_or figs of thistles?

Jesus teaches the same simple gardening plan for figs. If you go to pick your figs—you won’t pick them from thistles. There is obviously a point Jesus is making (must be about a path to freedom)!

Thistles are a type of weed. They produce purple flowers which are kind of feathery looking. Some of the flowers have more of a pom-pom look. The stem of the thistle is prickly and full of briars. They really are attractive, but if they grow in your pasture you want to get rid of them. Your livestock would appreciate it. Thistles produce an abundance of seeds and can take over a pasture, greatly reducing your livestock’s grass supply.

If you have thistles growing, you can look on them from now to this time next year and won’t find any figs.

Figs grow on trees—thistles don’t. So what is this all about? And how will it help with our freedom search?  If you want grapes—go to grapevine. If you want figs—go to the fig tree. If you want truth—go to the words of the Christ.

This is the correct path to freedom. 

False teachers lead to false paths. You can follow those paths up and down, left and right, from now till the cows come home—you won’t find any freedom.   

PRAYER

Holy Savior, Help me know I can only find truth in You. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.     

Christ leads me to the path of truth—I find freedom!